E Class corroded subframe

NickNickleby · 03-04-2020 10:08pm #1

Starting a new thread, had hijacked a previous thread.....

Bought my beautiful E Class E200 W212, 2010, in 2016, ie six years old. Paid 21k for it. Was the going rate for it at the time (if buying from a dealer). Was happy to buy from a big showy main dealer , albeit not a Merc dealer. After all, buy g what I perceived to be a premium badge from a big posh garage is a guarantee of longevity is it not. My intention is that I'll be buried in it. Well I will be if I pop my clogs tomorrow.

After Christmas just gone, I noticed a clunking sound coming from the rear driver side, when pulling away. Anyway, one day while waiting for an appointment to get it investigated, I heard a loud cracking from underneath. So off to a garage immediately. My rear axle subframe had corroded and snapped where the lower arm from the wheel connects. I believe this is called a drop link. Well, it certainly dropped. The garage is a small indy, and the owner is well versed in Mercs. He called me and said it's buggered and cannot be welded. His suggestion was that it be taken to a merc main dealer and ask for it to be repaired under warranty.

So, I took it to the main dealer nearby. I said what had been diagnosed, and that my expectation was that Mercedes would carry the cost of this given the nature and seriousness of the fault. The service manager said that was for them to decide, and that such decisions were taken on a case by case basis. He also said that the car would not be released back to me until it is roadworthy. I felt like telling him to take his fake effing gun from my head, but decided to remain silent, and not start a row before its necessary. He said they'd get back to me in due course. Then Leo shut down the garage.

Still, the car would only be sitting in the front drive anyway....

Toyotafanboi · 03-04-2020 10:28pm

That's a popular fault with those and dealers are known to do goodwill contributions on them too.

That said, you didnt buy it from a main dealer and you weren't servicing it with a main dealer and goodwill is usually authorised by the dealer so I suppose you need to be prepared for it not to go well for you.

You can take it out of the dealer no problem, they'll just get you to sign a disclaimer stating that they advised you the car is unsafe to be driven. You might get lucky though and they'll cover it.

L-M · 03-04-2020 10:32pm

A friend of a friend got the subframe covered on a 08 C class recently. He had just bought it privately and I would say very little history. Hold tough

NickNickleby · 03-04-2020 10:44pm

Thanks Toyotafanboi

Yeah, I get that my eh, reluctance to hand over gazillions to a main dealer is likely to come back to bite me now. Still, for a low mileage, otherwise (as far as I know) pristine example of a premium badge, you'd expect not to be having to deal with this kind of crap. My neighbour is a retired mechanic and says he's never heard of this type of component failing so drastically, other than in a crash.

If they won't fix it, I wonder will they give me a free sub frame and I get my indy guy to replace it. I can already guess the answer to that. We'll give you a free subframe, and you pay main dealer rates to fit it (at best). Or , "sign this and get off my forecourt".

Saw a refurbished one on ebay in Germany, €1350 plus delivery. And God only knows how much to install it. And will the front one go next year???

NickNickleby · 03-04-2020 10:56pm

Thanks L-M,

Hopefully I'll get lucky, like your friend's friend.

Toyotafanboi · 03-04-2020 11:15pm

NickNickleby wrote: »

Thanks Toyotafanboi

Yeah, I get that my eh, reluctance to hand over gazillions to a main dealer is likely to come back to bite me now.

If they won't fix it, I wonder will they give me a free sub frame and I get my indy guy to replace it.

Well the dealers are franchises, your car has dodged them for sales and servicing for a decade but now you've found them sharpish, cap in hand, looking for a freebie. Could you not put the few bob you saved over the years off the sub frame job? would your indy not do you a good deal on supply and fit if he's been good for everything else?

No chance they'd give you the component to take away in any kind of deal, it doesn't work like that.

Dealers do seem to cover these though so there may be an official line from Mercedes to cover the cost on cars below a certain age/ mileage no quibble as it's fairly embarrassing stuff for them. That's what you need to be hoping for.

NickNickleby · 03-04-2020 11:36pm

Cap in hand, hahaha. Nope, I expect that an expensive car shouldn't start to literally fall apart in less than ten years and 60k miles , and if it does , then it must be due to poor material or build quality. Either of which are the responsibility of the manufacturer.

Yes, my indy could and would do it, but my belief is that Mercedes should be carrying some of the load here.

We'll see how it goes. I'll post here when there are developments.

Ninja edit due to finger trouble resulting on premature posting.ðŸ˜Š

Toyotafanboi · 04-04-2020 12:11am

NickNickleby wrote:

it must be due to poor material or build quality. Either of which are the responsibility of the manufacturer.

If you were the Mercedes would you entertain that point of view though, when you're service centres havn't been given the opportunity to inspect the condition of the product annually as per the service schedule for the last ten years? Any manner of external influence could have caused this and if spotted sooner the cost and extent of repair could have been mitigated.

Sure theres some precedent for these failures but generally speaking the above would apply. You do have the precendet here though which is lucky.

kermitpwee · 04-04-2020 2:46am

I hope you get it sorted and it looks like you might.
It's a 10 year old car regardless of brand.
Mercedes are not know for quality, luxury perhaps.

Henry Ford III · 04-04-2020 8:03am

Was it a UK import?

NickNickleby · 04-04-2020 12:26pm

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

If you were the Mercedes would you entertain that point of view though, when you're service centres havn't been given the opportunity to inspect the condition of the product annually as per the service schedule for the last ten years? Any manner of external influence could have caused this and if spotted sooner the cost and extent of repair could have been mitigated.

Sure theres some precedent for these failures but generally speaking the above would apply. You do have the precendet here though which is lucky.

I totally agree with your points about the lack of Accredited Mercedes dealers not being given the opportunity to find this earlier. And, that say some sort of damage in the interim could be responsible. But.... I've owned cars since 1976, some brand new, some second hand. Even with the brand new cars and following the main dealer route, I've had unbelievable grief. (Well, twice, and it was a long time ago). But even my crappy 1969 Triumph 1300 didn't have vital substructure falling off. My rustbucket 1980 Toyota Corolla (I bought it on Dec 8th, and on Christmas Day my father spotted the rust on the roof!!), was in and out of the main dealers for two years till I gave up and traded it in (for sweet FA, as you can imagine).
So, my experience over the years has been that going the official main dealer route was just an exercise in handing over extra money for no real gain.

My neighbour, who was a mechanic in a main dealer says that things ARE better now, and that while the hourly rate charged is eye watering, in most cases the main dealers require fewer actual hours to get the job done.

Perhaps this was the one occasion when I should have bitten the bullet

:pac::D

Just to add, my most recent service was carried out by a guy with all the Merc qualifications and specialist tools, he uses the STAR system diagnostic machine - he gave me the printouts - which I should have left in the car, now that I think of it. AND it passed the NCT in November (I think it was) - unsurprisingly I suppose, it wasn't noticed then.

kermitpwee wrote: »

I hope you get it sorted and it looks like you might.
It's a 10 year old car regardless of brand.
Mercedes are not know for quality, luxury perhaps.

When I bought it, it was six years old and never in my wildest dreams did I think it would come to this. The 05 Fiesta is running fine and no bits falling off it:(

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Was it a UK import?

Nope, Irish.

Ah well. We live in hope, and as we all know, this is negligible in the greater scheme of things at the moment. I'm just venting, and also there might be useful observations in this thread for others.

Thanks all, I'll keep you posted.

Henry Ford III · 04-04-2020 12:55pm

Best of luck. I hope Mercedes treat you reasonably at least.

galvo_clare · 04-04-2020 7:16pm

NickNickleby wrote: »

Thanks Toyotafanboi

Saw a refurbished one on ebay in Germany, €1350 plus delivery. And God only knows how much to install it. And will the front one go next year???

Maybe it's a more complex part but I got a sub frame from a breakers for my 2003 3 Series cabrio for €50 delivered.

pale rider · 18-04-2020 9:24pm

I had a 2010 e250 for six years and loved it, the Indy garage I got it serviced with had a couple of these in over the last 18 months, it's not uncommon and all owners should have this checked, mine was fine.

NickNickleby · 30-04-2020 10:49pm

UPDATE

Well, having left the car into a main dealer weeks ago, today I got a call out of the blue. Car is ready to be collected! New rear axle assembly fitted, then all the underneath of the car has been cleaned and sprayed with some sort of protection. ALL courtesy of Mercedes. It was explained to me that it's not a warranty, but rather a goodwill gesture, recognising the extreme and unusual nature of the problem. Apparently it's recognised as a "known" problem, but whilst it's a bit more common than expected, it's not happening to all cars of that vintage. The service history wasn't raised, although they knew someone with know how and access to "downloads" etc had been the last person to work on it.

So, happy ending there. During the waiting period, I had been preparing myself for a spend of a couple of grand, as I wasn't going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Phew!!!

cml387 · 01-05-2020 2:06pm

Excellent result.

Old timers will know the story of the Rolls Royce owner who mistreated his car on his poorly paved estate to the extent that he broke the rear axle.

Rolls Royce took his car away and returned it later all fixed.

After failing to get a bill for a while and being an honest aristocrat he wrote to RR asking about the cost of repair.

He received a reply:

"The rear axle on a Rolls Royce does not break"

Casati · 01-05-2020 3:21pm

NickNickleby wrote: »

UPDATE

Well, having left the car into a main dealer weeks ago, today I got a call out of the blue. Car is ready to be collected! New rear axle assembly fitted, then all the underneath of the car has been cleaned and sprayed with some sort of protection. ALL courtesy of Mercedes. It was explained to me that it's not a warranty, but rather a goodwill gesture, recognising the extreme and unusual nature of the problem. Apparently it's recognised as a "known" problem, but whilst it's a bit more common than expected, it's not happening to all cars of that vintage. The service history wasn't raised, although they knew someone with know how and access to "downloads" etc had been the last person to work on it.

So, happy ending there. During the waiting period, I had been preparing myself for a spend of a couple of grand, as I wasn't going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Phew!!!

That is a great result, fair play to Mercedes for doing all this work free of charge. I know from your perspective it’s a car you spent over 20k on a few years ago but its still a 10 year old car which is probably 7 years out of manufactures warranty so I’m shocked they would do this work for free.

Eric Cartman · 01-05-2020 3:33pm

This actually says quite a lot for Mercedes customer service. Im sure somebody has an example but in general they seem to cover faults that are design based / not owner faults pretty comprehensively.

Toyotafanboi · 01-05-2020 4:06pm

The big question is now OP, seeing as they've got you sorted. Will you go there for a service in future?

NickNickleby · 01-05-2020 4:54pm

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

The big question is now OP, seeing as they've got you sorted. Will you go there for a service in future?

When I got the call yesterday, THAT was my first thought upon hanging up. And then I got to thinking about my investment so far in the car and should I be looking to protect that investment, or should I continue to use indies to care for the car, and let that take me where it might.

Well, I'm going to use the Main Dealer. This is partially based on selfish reasons, hopefully protection against similar incidents in future. And more likely, a feeling of, well...... loyalty. I'm not normally one for 'brand loyalty' so this is more driven by my experience with the Main Dealer people and the outcome.

As an aside, when I collected the car, the chap who brought it round the front said he was astonished that it was a 2010 car as it looks in such good nick (no relation:pac:) and that he's seen 171's that don't look as well kept.

Anyway, I came on here originally, with a bee in my bonnet over an MB car falling to bits, so its at least incumbent on me to highlight the good service I have received from the Mercedes Benz dealer network.

swarlb · 02-05-2020 3:04am

Well done on your result.
This puts me in mind of a make of car from the 1970's up to the early 80's. There was a problem with rust on the front subframe in this case. Only came to be noticed when the model had been in production for a few years. At first the manufacturer offered to replace the subframe free of charge, then the press got hold of the story.
Tales of engines falling out while the car was being driven, other tales of the whole car crumbling to dust around the driver while he waited for the lights to change.
Not wanting too much bad press, the manufacturer offered to buy back the models from customers that were unhappy. Bear in mind now, there were cars that had experienced no problems whatsoever, and some of these cars still exist today...with the original subframes.
The manufacturer however never really recovered, and pulled out of the market not long afterwards.
The brand still exists, but virtually unknown by many.
Oddly enough, a certain TV 'motoring' program once did a special on the brand, and rated it 'the greatest car maker.. ever'.... naturally they couldn't help but mention 'the incident'
I wonder if the media today got hold of this Mercedes problem.... would the brand die a death within 10 years ?

ofcork · 02-05-2020 12:53pm

Great outcome but Mercedes still seem to have quality issues to this day even the AMGs are not immune!

Esel · 02-05-2020 1:54pm

@swarlb - is the brand a secret?

colm_mcm · 02-05-2020 9:15pm

Esel wrote: »

@swarlb - is the brand a secret?

Think it was the RWD Toyota Starlets assembled in Dublin?

jelutong · 02-05-2020 10:11pm

Lancia?

cml387 · 03-05-2020 11:40am

colm_mcm wrote: »

Think it was the RWD Toyota Starlets assembled in Dublin?

There was an issue with Starfighters where assembled in Dublin had missing paint or ant-corrosion covering where the rear axle is bolted to the chassis. Toyota bought those back, we're talking about late 1980's when this came to light,
However Toyota a very much with us.

The great Lancia Beta rust disaster comes to mind. these were rotting before they left the showroom and finished Lancia as a brand in Ireland and the UK.

johnayo · 03-05-2020 12:05pm

Alfa Romeo were porous back in the 70's. Many of them had a touchup at PDI stage. I doubt they have that problem now.

TheBoyConor · 03-05-2020 1:17pm

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

If you were the Mercedes would you entertain that point of view though, when you're service centres havn't been given the opportunity to inspect the condition of the product annually as per the service schedule for the last ten years? Any manner of external influence could have caused this and if spotted sooner the cost and extent of repair could have been mitigated.

I wouldn't buy that sort of bullshít argument from a dealer. Service schedules and periodic thorough inspections are all well and good for dealers and service managers to yap on about but in the real world, outside of hire fleets etc, nobody actually takes these seriously or does them. Why? What is the point of it? If it is ok it is ok and if there is a problem it will manifest itself. Plus it is extra expense and inconvenience for no real benefit.

I have never had a car in for a routine underbody inspection nor have I ever heard anyone do it. Yet the subframe collapsing on cars is not a thing - it is a very rare event. Unfortunately these Mercs are prone to it, probably due to either flaws in design, manufacturing or materials.
Having some big eared spotty apprentice gawk at it every six months won't prevent rust.

If this is trotted out it is just an excuse to avoid having to do the repairs at a reduced rate.

TheBoyConor · 03-05-2020 1:26pm

NickNickleby wrote: »

UPDATE

......….then all the underneath of the car has been cleaned and sprayed with some sort of protection. ALL courtesy of Mercedes. …...
Phew!!!

In other words, they plastered it with Waxoyl in order to cover up other areas that were half rotten.

Seeing this stuff newly applied to the underbody of a car when buying is usually a bad omen and a sign to run away as the underbody is likely to be held together by it.

swarlb · 03-05-2020 1:53pm

Esel wrote: »

@swarlb - is the brand a secret?

No... but at the time it was plastered all over the newsprint media, it was reported on the TV news for weeks, and finally a TV 'consumer' program hammered in the final nails.
My point is that I cannot imagine the same thing happening today.
Every manufacturer I can think of in the 60's, 70's and 80's had a problem with rust, some more than others, but for some reason this one took the hit and died.

It was Lancia...
I don't expect most people under the age of 30 to have any experience of it, but still, for those who do remember, they did make good cars, better than most in many regards.

Gooey Looey · 03-05-2020 2:17pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I wouldn't buy that sort of bullshít argument from a dealer. Service schedules and periodic thorough inspections are all well and good for dealers and service managers to yap on about but in the real world, outside of hire fleets etc, nobody actually takes these seriously or does them. Why? What is the point of it? If it is ok it is ok and if there is a problem it will manifest itself. Plus it is extra expense and inconvenience for no real benefit.

I have never had a car in for a routine underbody inspection nor have I ever heard anyone do it. Yet the subframe collapsing on cars is not a thing - it is a very rare event. Unfortunately these Mercs are prone to it, probably due to either flaws in design, manufacturing or materials.
Having some big eared spotty apprentice gawk at it every six months won't prevent rust.

If this is trotted out it is just an excuse to avoid having to do the repairs at a reduced rate.

You don't need to do this inspection, the NCT will do it for you every 2 years outside warranty

pcardin · 10-11-2021 11:08pm

Sorry guys, did not want to drag an old thread up from dead but this new Boards version does not permit me to PM directly to the OP here. And issue is similar.

I own a 2011 Mercedes CLS, original Irish car originally sold here by MSL but not to me obviously. Bought it in March 2020 from a dealer just a day before our first lockdown. Car had a pretty fresh NCT, expired only now. Went for a test tonight, failed on excessive corrosion on rear subframe. Dangerous to drive sticker in windshield and on the back of trailer home. I am still gobsmacked.

This is certainly the best car I ever own and from 40+ cars in my liftime none of them ever had a defect this bad. Even 20+ years old bangers I used to buy for 400-500 quid never had rust issues. Certainly did not expect from a 10 year old luxury car such a fail.

Now, I just want an advise on what to do next. I am giving a call to MSL tomorrow but wanted to know what to tell them? Any advise appreciated.

galwaytt · 11-11-2021 4:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118148617#Comment_118148617

You should have no problem getting it done under M-B warranty.

My brother has just had his 2010 E-Class done by Hogan Motors in Limerick under M-B warranty, and it's a known & recognised problem. If a particular dealer isn't playing ball with you on it, find another.

Car went in on 16th October and he's getting it back tomorrow, all span new factory parts underneath, so a month all-in is very quick imho: we were expecting it to be off the road for 2 months+

Markcheese · 11-11-2021 4:28pm

I suppose it's in the garages interest to "do the work" it's Mercedes who are paying after all , and if it's seen as the garage speaking up for the car , owner they've a good chance to turn a quality control "loss" , into a customer relations " win ",

But to start I'd be asking nicely rather than demanding rudely...😉

pcardin · 11-11-2021 5:31pm

Got in touch with dealer today and they were not surprised at all and basically confirmed it is a known issue. I have to book my car in for inspection, they inspect and photograph the subframe and then send information to Mercedes. Mercedes then decide either yay or nay and then dealer fixes it. IN case of yay its on them, if they say no then its on me. Problem is until I drop the car to them and they do the inspection I wont know the answer but at the same time they sort of arest my car, meaning they will not give it back to me until its fixed as it is not road legal. But that in turns mean that if Mercedes say no all charges are on me and I can not really afford it tbh and I wont get my car back. Also, turns out there is an open recall on my car for a different software related issue.

Al in all, if a car is dropped to them it is 2 weeks waiting time from today only for appointment and they mentioned part itself is 8 weeks waiting time. So I am looking to be without my car for at least 3 months which is not geat as I need a car for school runs every day.

Altough 10 years old my car is spotless otherwise, did not fail on anything else, not a single rust anywhere else. According to tester, subframe is just manufactured from a bad metal. This clearly is a manufacturers issue no?

NickNickleby · 11-11-2021 5:56pm

Hi pcardin, OP here.

I can't really add a lot to what occurred in my case, and I think its pretty well laid out in my posts.

But I'll have to add this: since then a couple of other big jobs have been done on the front suspensions - not freebies. Ok, that's all good and the car doesn't creak or crack while out driving. But, recently I've noticed a different 'note' to the driving sound which will get attention at an upcoming service. I'm thinking this will not be cheap, perhaps its God's way of telling me to go EV. I'm suspecting a bearing - not that I care at this stage. Which is a real shame, because the car looks great and feels great.

Finally, whichever Main Dealer you approach, essentially they (as I understand it) have the final say. It may appear from my original report that I took a robust approach with my one, but while I was seething inside, I was all sweetness and light at the time. I suspect had I been a pain in the ass about it, I might well have walked away with nothing. So, softly softly is my advice.

Good luck.

NickNickleby · 11-11-2021 6:05pm

Hi pcardin,

I'm a slow typist, so you posted your update while I was contemplating mine 😕.

Look back through the thread, and you'll see that I had the same concern about mine (will they release it?) . You'll see that Toyotafanboi says that most likely they'll release the car IF you sign a waiver to absolve them of any and all responsibility when they give it back to you. By law, of course you'd have to take it away on a trailer.

But before we all start to panic, my main dealer told me it would have cost in the region of 1500 if I'd had to pay for it. Which was way lower than I had thought. And when the value of the car is considered, its worth it, the alternative being to sell the car as is and get next to nothing for it (in my unqualified opinion).

So , all is not lost yet.

pcardin · 11-11-2021 7:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118152085#Comment_118152085

Oh no guys, I am not being arse to the dealer. And so far I have no reason to be an arse yet, They did hear me out and explained what the process is, what they will do and so on. Last night I was searching through the wild wild web and found that this subframe issue is well known to Mercedes all over the world for certain models manufactured during certain time frame, and there apparently was even a recall on this issue done by Mercedes in UK. Couldnt find anything saying that same recall happene in Ireland (which is strange).

Your sucess story, and many other I found on web, for now calms me a little, there is a hope. Right now I am just shocked to see such a damage on a lxury car. And I love this car which makes me even more pissed. And now trying to find a replacement car in the absolutely wrong time of the year is another pain. And all before Xmas. Lol.

1500 E sounds not too bad but dont know if its trough. At least in UK forums a lot mentioned that subframe from MB original alone costs £1600.00, with all the labour involved stretching to 3-4k. Ouch. Also, all similar stories had either a C-class or E-class cars involved, same vintage as mine though. But no CLS. Which is strange as I think body and interior is what difers W212 and W218, rest must be the same.

NickNickleby · 11-11-2021 7:12pm

Don't worry pcardin, you don't write like a nasty person, I was just saying that I didn't use the big stick approach, in case anyone suspected I was trying to be the big guy.

I, too, was surprised at the suggested price - but perhaps he was just referring to the price of the part. (although he didn't say so, but I wasn't hanging around to be handed a bill for labour 😨😂).

Anyway, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. As someone else said, this is a win for the main dealer, as they get the job, with payment guaranteed, so that should work in your favour.

pcardin · 11-11-2021 9:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118152529#Comment_118152529

Fingers crossed. Cheers!

aktas · 30-11-2021 6:55pm

My E class 2011, 186k miles failed its NCT due to subframe corrosion. Had it checked with my car guy and he said he wouldn't drive the car. So I have been onto a main dealer and they want to inspect it and consider warranty cover. Must say that I am quite concerned to read online that this is a known problem but no recall. Suppose someone has to die first?

aktas · 30-11-2021 6:57pm

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Odelay · 30-11-2021 7:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118246837#Comment_118246837

Thats bad.. I wouldn't fancy driving that. Hopefully the main dealer will sort you out.

pcardin · 30-11-2021 9:09pm

I am bringing mine in tomorrow. Fingers crossed they will own it up. Ridiculous quality. And Ireland doesnt even experience snowy winters with salty roads.

aktas · 06-12-2021 8:37pm

Got onto a merc dealer. They have over 20 cars booked in for subframe replacement. Good news is its free if car hasn't been clocked. Can't imagine how many cars nationwide being groomed for subframe replacement.....seems NCT inspections are now looking for subframe corrosion.

pcardin · 06-12-2021 10:51pm

I got good news back from Mercedes dealer that they are replacing a subframe on my car as a goodwill gesture. Thats about 3k saved. There is a backlog on the part so I will have to wait between 1-3 months until I get it back. Then NCT all over again.

L1011 · 06-12-2021 10:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247544#Comment_118247544

Salt thing isn't true anymore. We used to use grit and molasses in ye-olde days but its been salt and grit for a decade or more.

Not as often as in some other countries but I hear the gritter out any decently cold night. Actually surprised I haven't heard it go past tonight.

pcardin · 06-12-2021 11:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118280693#Comment_118280693

yes sure, and I come from country with harsh winters and salted roads to keep them clear which results most of todays cars rusting like buckets after within their first 5-10 years from new.

This corrosion is however not a case of salt on the roads. There is not a single rust spot on my car and then there is a subframe that is not rusty but so corroded that the only thing that still holds it to the car is some sort of witchcraft. In this case I believe its just a bad metal which Mercedes bought it from Fiat who had some unused stock of that unfamous Soviet metal they got in early 70ties.

NickNickleby · 07-12-2021 1:09am

@pcardin ; @aktas

Great news guys. I'd say this is quite a hit for Mercedes. Its a real pity, because I have to say the W212 is a beautiful car.

Somewhat unrelated, but I think my exhaust is starting to blow. Perhaps its corroded 😂. So in the six years I've owned mine : corroded brake lines replaced; corroded axle subframe replaced*; front wishbone replaced; front drop-link replaced; exhaust pressure sensor(s) replaced.

(* goodwill job - no charge).

Still, I'll keep it till it falls asunder, or other 'inducements' convert me to electric.

pcardin · 08-12-2021 10:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118281463#Comment_118281463

thats quite a list. I am starting to get error messages regarding exhaust pressure sensor, car was running fine, what does it affect? Did your car was also due for a recall on emissions software update?

NickNickleby · 09-12-2021 3:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118293129#Comment_118293129

Someone else might come along here and be more certain about the exhaust pressure sensor. In my case I got an engine warning light, so brought it to a mechanic. He Replaced the sensor and also had to do a DPF regen (basically he drove it across the M50 in low gear with the engine screaming for mercy, while he tweaked something using his STAR device). Apparently the DPF was very full and perhaps the failed sensor and the full DPF were linked - not really sure, but it was mentioned when I was collecting the car. It cost me about 600 euro in total, but has behaved itself ever since.

Turns out the noise I thought was coming from the exhaust is , believe it or not, coming from the gearbox. Its going in tomorrow for a better look. Fingers crossed.

E Class corroded subframe

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